Explore our Family-Friendly Maps to find the perfect route to run with your family. Choose from Family-Friendly Road Routes, Family-Friendly Trail Routes or Stroller-Friendly Routes. Except for the Stroller-Friendly Routes, the routes we have included are designed with younger children in mind. Distances are generally under 7 km and challenging hills are avoided.
As RunVictoria is all about exploring new routes and places to run, we have selected routes that, in general, are less well known and less traveled. For example, though such running meccas as Beacon Hill Park, Beaver Lake Park and the Cedar Hill Golf Course chip trail offer great trails for running, we elected not to include them here. Contact us for suggested routes in these more popular locations.
Click on any route to view specific route details including:
distance, terrain, route type, washroom access, water availability, route description and more!
Looking for more routes?
Family Friendly Road Routes
Henderson 6K Loop
5.9 km
UVIC
This 6-km loop run should be on every running family’s ‘to-do’ list! It includes the delightful chip trail at Henderson Park, the UVIC footpaths, the fun trail down Mystic Vale and some of the great paths through Mt. Tolmie Park. Enjoy watching the golfers on the Henderson Golf Course, the shade of Mystic Vale on a hot day and the spectacular views from the slopes of Mt. Tolmie.
Cordova Bay Ridge 6K Loop
6 km
Cordova Bay
This great 6-km loop explores some of the best running roads in Cordova Bay. Starting your run from Claremont High School, some of the highlights of this route include the beautiful (and cool in the hot summer) Doumac Park, Sayward Hill Park, the lovely semi-pastoral roads of Santa Clara and Del Monte, and Claremont Park. Enjoy the views across Haro Straight to San Juan Island, or continue along Lochside Road to Mattick’s Farm for ice cream!
Gordon Head 6K Loop
6.2 km
Gordon Head
Gordon Head is blessed with many great running routes, but we think this is one of the best. Starting from Tyndall Park, it picks up some quiet side roads before descending through Vantreight Park, Ferndale Forest Park and the waterfront Glencoe Cove Park at Gordon Point. You then run gently uphill, past Houlihan Park and back to the beginning.
Vic West 6K Waterfront Loop
6.3 km
Vic West
Hands down, this is perhaps the single best waterfront route in Victoria. Though only 6 km, it packs an incredible array of seaside running! Starting from Harbour Road near Dockside Landing, the route follows the Galloping Goose Trail past the Selkirk Trestle to Banfield Park on the Gorge waterway, then picks up quiet side roads towards West Bay Marina. We save the best for last, for this final section of the route is spectacular! The stunning Songhees Walkway takes you back to where you started on Harbour Road via a breathtaking paved path that winds along the shoreline with views over Victoria’s Inner Harbour to the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel.
Brentwood 6.5K Loop
6.4 km
Brentwood Bay
This gentle 6.4-km route starts by taking you down to peaceful Tod Inlet, where a plethora of delightful little trails will beckon to explore. The route then skirts beside the famous Butchart Gardens before following some quiet roads on your way over to enjoy the lovely paved footpath that hugs the coastline of Brentwood Bay. If your kids are game, you might run through beautiful Gore and Oak Haven Parks on your way back.
Broadmead 3.5K Loop
3.5 km
Broadmead
Although this route is only 3.5 km, it offers some great running! Broadmead is blessed with excellent residential roads for running, pleasant surroundings, an amazing network of connecting footpaths and a nice mix of flat, rolling and challenging terrain. Highlights of this particular route include lovely Donwood Drive, Autumnwood Park, Thistlewood Drive and the Rolston Trail.
Maplewood 5K Loop
4.9 km
Maplewood
The Maplewood area is one of Victoria’s best kept running secrets. Not only does it offer quiet and enjoyable running roads close to downtown, Maplewood also boasts great neighborhood parks… some of which sit atop rocky knolls with stunning views of the city. And spectacular sunsets! Highlights include the gorgeous west side of the Cedar Hill Golf Course chip trail, the rhododendron-blessed Playfair Park, the feel-good Craigmillar Ave. and Salsbury Way, and the spectacular, camus-laden Summit Park. If flowers are your thing, be sure to do this run in the spring!
Ten Mile Point 5K Loop
5 km
Ten Mile Point
There are few more beautiful residential areas of Victoria than Ten Mile Point. This rolling 5-km mostly road route is a delight. It takes you past breathtaking homes, spectacular seaside vistas and along gently undulating footpaths. There is one gradual climb up to the top of Arbutus Rd. From here you can continue going up the path through Arbutus Park to Wedgepoint Park, before gently descending towards tiny waterfront Ten Mile Point Park.
Oak Bay 5K Loop
5 km
Oak Bay
This short 5-km route loops around the quiet residential neighborhood of Oak Bay. Your run starts from beautiful McNeill Bay and follows the waterfront around to Newport Drive, turns left on Island Road and goes past Anderson Hill Park. Stop and enjoy the view over the sparkling Salish Sea and snow-capped Olympic Mountains before continuing towards Beaverbrook St., Monterey Middle School and back to the beginning.
3.5 km
Oak Bay
Uplands Park is perhaps one of the least used, best kept running secrets of Victoria. A relatively small park, it has been kept essentially undeveloped and in its natural state. It has a good selection of flat, runnable trails for a park of its size. Uplands Park is best run in the spring and early summer when the wildflowers are in bloom…and they are stunning! (Note: some trails get very muddy in winter.) No washrooms or water available, but both are available at nearby Willows Beach.
Mt. Doug 4K Trail Loop
3.75 km
Saanich
One of Victoria’s best kept running secrets, Mt. Doug Park offers many scenic trails that are great for running. This gentle 4 km loop is as close to flat as one can find in Mt. Doug Park, but does have a few easy uphills. Being mostly on the east side of the mountain, this route also provides a fair bit of shade, much appreciated when the weather is hot! Most trails are dirt, with some roots and rocks. Trails are generally well marked. Dogs can be off-leash, but under control.
PISE 4K Loop
4.1 km
Saanich
This gentle 4 km route takes you through the open meadows and forest behind Camosun College, PISE and Layritz Park. Enjoy a mix of smooth crushed gravel paths and fun single track trails. Your kids will love that there is only one small hill to climb on this generally flat route!
Royal Roads 4.5K Loop
4.4 km
Colwood
This great 4.5 km route explores some of the fun footpaths that can be found on the wooded Royal Roads University campus grounds. Enjoy a mix of smooth dirt roads and twisty single-track as you weave through the forest. This route can easily be shortened or lengthened as desired.
Killarney Lake 4.5K Loop
4.5 km
Saanich
Killarney Lake Park offers a quiet, soothing escape from the more heavily used parks near Victoria. This 4.5 km route starts on Meadowbrook Rd. and makes a sweeping loop around a small, pristine lake situated between Prospect Lake and the Hartland Mountain Bike Trails. The trail is generally very runnable, though there are a few muddy or rooty sections along the way. In the summer, enjoy a swim before heading back! To make the route longer, consider exploring the adjacent Hartland trails.
Panama Flats 4.5K loop
4.7 km
Saanich
Starting from Hyacinth Park on Marigold Rd, this gentle, almost perfectly flat route follows Colquitz Creek through Panama Flats, crosses Roy Rd. to Gerda Rd, then returns via Carey Rd and a single track path on the west side of the park. This is a very pleasant route, but as there is virtually no shade, it can get hot in the summer.
Thetis Lake 5K Loop
5 km
View Royal
One of the most beautiful running/walking areas around Victoria, Thetis Lake Park and the adjoining greenbelts/parks make for an extraordinary running - and swimming - experience. This area is blessed with a myriad of delightful trails, stunningly pretty lakes and a great mix of terrain. Most trails are well marked. While the main trails are fairly well maintained, many of the smaller branch trails tend to be more technical “single-track”. Expect hills! Several routes join adjacent parks, such as Stewart Mountain, Francis/King and Gowlland Tod. This particular run circles both Upper and Lower Thetis Lakes, and makes for an easy to moderate route that highlights many of the Park’s most scenic spots.
Cedar Grove 4.5K Loop
4.5 km
Metchosin
The Cedar Grove Trail starts on the north side of the Galloping Goose parking lot at Gillespie Rd., and generally follows the Galloping Goose in a parallel direction to the east. The trail travels through several groves of massive cedar trees, as well as maples and fir/arbutus. Though somewhat technical in places, the trail is very runnable, even when it gets a bit muddy in the winter! Return via the flat, smooth Galloping Goose Trail. A more challenging, but perhaps more rewarding 7.5 km route starts from where the Goose crosses Rocky Point Rd. Follow the Goose west for about 650m and take the first trail on the right. You are now on the eastern end of the Cedar Grove Trail. If you choose to run this route, there are several side trails on the left that will take you back to the Goose.
East Sooke 4.5K Loop
4.5 km
East Sooke
This spectacular, mildly challenging run takes your family along the eastern most section of the rugged Coast Trail, a technical route that hugs the remote and jagged, wind-swept coastline of East Sooke. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Salish Sea and Olympic Mountains beyond as you explore secret coves and hidden beaches. Return via an an inland trail.
Francis King 6K Loop
5.9 km
Saanich
Francis King Park offers a myriad of fun single track trails to explore with your family. This delightful 6 km route takes you along moderately technical trails over mossy rock outcrops and through arbutus, fir, maple and gary oak forest on the west side of Munn Rd. The route then crosses Munn Rd. where you notice an immediate change in the microclimate, the trails becoming more damp and the vegetation more typical of West Coast rainforest. Savour the majesty of the massive cedar and maple trees before looping back to the parking lot.
Rithet's Bog Loop
3 km
Saanich
A 42-hectare Nature Sanctuary, Rithet's Bog is a haven for rare plants and wildlife. The largely flat 2.9 km trail around The Bog provides a great route for running strollers. It can be extended by adding the adjacent and stroller-friendly Broadmead road/trail network, or the nearby Beaver-Elk Lake trails (to the west) or Lochside Trail (to the east). No water or washrooms available. As this is a bird sanctuary, dogs must be on-leash.
Clover Point 5K (parkrun route)
5 km
Victoria
The Dallas Road waterfront from Clover Point to Ogden Point breakwater is one of Victoria’s most popular running and walking routes. Enjoy the spectacular view over the sparkling Salish Sea to the Olympic Mountains as you run along the paved path hugging Beacon Hill Park’s rugged shoreline. Depending on the day, you may see paragliders, kite surfers, sun worshipers, cruise ships or sailboats…even the occasional whale! Note: This is the local ‘parkrun’ route.
The Flight Path (Airport trail)
9 km
North Saanich
‘The Flight Path’ is a 9.3 km paved path that circles the Victoria Airport. Great for running strollers, this route offers pastoral beauty and lovely views of Pat Bay. There are several educational stops along the way with signs providing historical information about the airport and the surrounding land. Washrooms and water are available. Dogs should be on-leash as this path is used by cyclists.
Panama Flats - Colquitz Creek Trail
9.5 km
Saanich
Extending from just north of Tillicum Mall (intersection of Burnside and Interurban Rds), the Panama Flats-Colquitz Creek trail follows Colquitz Creek through Panama Flats to Brydon Park, just south of the Royal Oak Shopping Centre. You can shorten or extend this run easily, as there are simple connections to Cuthbert Holmes Park trails, Galloping Goose Trail, Beaver-Elk Lake trails, Rithet's Bog trail, Broadmead trails and beyond.
Classic Elk-Beaver Loop
10 km
Saanich
This is probably the most used running/walking trail in Victoria. The shortest distance around both lakes is 10 km, though there are many side trails that can be added. Flat, well maintained and kilometer marked, this is a great trail taking a running stroller. There are several good places to swim in the summer. Surface is smooth crushed gravel. An abundance of washrooms and water is available along the route. Dogs can be off-leash, but under control.
Galloping Goose (Downtown to Quadra)
10.7 km
Victoria and Saanich
The longest trail route in and around Victoria, “The Goose” is a 57-km rail trail, connecting downtown Victoria to the Sooke Potholes and Leechtown. Being an old railway line, the trail is flat and very easy to run. This 10.7 km (out-back) section of the Goose starts in downtown Victoria just on the Esquimalt side of the Johnson Street Bridge, and continues to the Uptown Douglas Street overpass. The only part of this route that is somewhat bumpy is going over the Selkerk Trestle, but this is also where you’ll want to walk as the view of the Gorge Inlet is prettiest from here.
Great Lochside Ice Cream Run
13 km
Saanich
The Lochside Trail (https://www.crd.bc.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks-trails/find-park-trail/lochside) extends 29 km from Swartz Bay ferry terminal south to Victoria where it intersects the Galloping Goose Trail at the TransCanada Highway (Uptown). What was once an old railway line, “Lochside” is a popular route for runners, walkers, cyclists and horseback riders. Flat and scenic with a nice combination of road and smooth footpath, this section of the trail is great for running with a stroller. Enjoy the pastoral serenity of Blenkinsop Lake and farmland of Blenkinsop valley, the ocean vistas across to San Juan Island from Cordova Bay, then stop for an ice cream at Mattick’s Farm before returning. Several options are available if you want to extend your 'stroller run' further: Rithet’s Bog loop trail, Broadmead trail network, Beaver-Elk Lake trails, or continuing north on Lochside Trail.
E&N Rail Trail
15 km
Esquimalt and
View Royal
Currently, the E&N Rail Trail is about 70% complete, and runs 12 km from Esquimalt Road to where it joins the Galloping Goose trail at Atkins Ave. Flat and paved, the route shown here turns around where the path meets the Galloping Goose Trail at the Colwood overpass. Being an out and back route, where you turn around is up to you. To extend your run, the E&N Rail Trail provides easy connections to a variety of other trails west and north of Victoria. Water and washrooms available.
Galloping Goose - Uptown to Colwood
19 km
Saanich,
View Royal
and Colwood
The longest trail route in and around Victoria, “The Goose” is a 57-km rail trail, connecting downtown Victoria to the Sooke Potholes and Leechtown. Being an old railway line, the trail is flat and very easy to run. This section of The Goose begins at the Uptown (Douglas Street) pedestrian overpass, and travels west paralleling the Island Highway to Colwood. Boasting an excellent surface for strollers, the trail is well-marked with directional signs and kilometer markers.
Galloping Goose Trail - Taylor to Gillespie
19 km
Saanich
The longest trail route in and around Victoria, “The Goose” is a 57 km rail-trail, connecting downtown Victoria to the Sooke Potholes and Leechtown. Being an old railway line, the trail is flat and very easy to run. This section of The Goose is at the top of the list of our favourite runs...trail or road. It begins at Taylor Road where it travels southwest through maple and arbutus-laden forest (lots of glorious shade in the hot summer!) and rolling farmland, past beautiful Matheson Lake to Roche Cove. Boasting an excellent running surface, the trail is well-marked with directional signs and kilometer markers. Matheson Lake offers several good swimming spots. Dogs can be off-leash, but under control (note: though rural, this section of the trail does have a few road crossings).